Tom Cooper
In the first part of this verse (vs. 1-5), Jesus is telling his followers that the manner in which one dies is not for us to judge; some may wrongly look for sinful behavior or action as a cause for one’s death. Jesus says do not judge – we all are born in sin and will die but must repent by believing and following him to have eternal life.
And then, Jesus tells a parable in the second part (vs. 6-9) about bearing fruit, thus making a linkage between repenting and bearing fruit. This parable talks of the expectation to bear fruit. When we plan a flower or tree, we want to see it produce. In the same way, God has created us to do the same – bear fruit.
I recently retired as a manager at the Department of Transportation. During my career, I had to the opportunity to hire inexperienced college graduates and others for my staff. Much like planting a tree, new staff needs mentoring, direction and opportunities to grow. As time goes on, some staff grow and become more productive. They move to bigger and better things. This was very rewarding for me, I always got much joy from seeing my staff learn and grow. However, for some, more time is needed to bear fruit like the man tells of his fig tree in verse 8. Growth is an integral part of life, be it with gardening or with people.
How can each of us bear fruit? In another section of the Bible (Corinthians 12), Paul tells followers that all have the capacity to bear fruit. Our talents are spiritual gifts that are special to us and they need to be put into action for the body of Christ.
PRAYER: Thank you Lord for the gifts you have given me and I pray that I use them wisely for your service. Amen.
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